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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24903448">Time Heals</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legendarymasterwolf/pseuds/Legendarymasterwolf'>Legendarymasterwolf</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last of Us</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:55:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,819</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24903448</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legendarymasterwolf/pseuds/Legendarymasterwolf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>SPOILERS FOR THE LAST OF US PART 2! IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN UNSPOILED, LEAVE NOW, PLAY THE GAME, AND COME BACK.</p><p>Still here? Cool.</p><p>A week after deciding to put her desire for revenge behind her, Ellie returns to Jackson to make amends with her loved ones, specifically her ex-girlfriend and son. A slow rekindling of their relationship ensues as she tries to apologize for the actions she took in pursuit of Abby. There's angst, but plenty of light-hearted moments to balance them out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us), Maria/Tommy (The Last of Us)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Time Heals</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I loved the ending of Part 2. I know, a lot of people didn't, and that's okay. It's a heavy game. Heavy, but beautiful.</p><p>Also, that ending is ambiguous, so Ellie could totally be headed back to Jackson by the end to be with Dina and JJ. This fic will follow that possible interpretation. Also because I need to do something to get Part 2 out of my head (I finished it two days after release and I'm still thinking about it).</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ellie returns to Jackson after letting Abby live, where she meets a couple of familiar faces.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'll be updating this periodically, as I figure out a more concrete outline.</p><p>And awaaaaaaaaaaaay we go!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Walking back to Jackson wasn't the worst idea Ellie had ever had, but it definitely ranked up there.</p><p>For the first time in a month, she wished she had taken a horse for the journey. She then thought of Shimmer, then Jesse.</p><p>Then Joel.</p><p>Ellie took a deep breath as she neared the top of the hill that overlooked Jackson. She had known the day she would see the bright lights of the peaceful community would come soon, but she hadn't expected it to be this soon. It scared her. It felt like a lifetime since she said goodbye to Dina, a lifetime since she left that peaceful life at the farmhouse in search of the woman who had taken Joel from her, a decision Ellie had come to regret as she sat on that beach, watching Abby and Lev ride off into the fog. She still had no idea what she was going to say when she saw her.</p><p>
  <i>Hell, what would Dina say?</i>
</p><p>She still bore the scars from her last fight with Abby. Her missing ring and pinky fingers on her left hand were a painful reminder of that, in addition to the numerous salt-infested wounds she now bore. She looked like hell and felt far worse. Even if Dina did take her back with open arms, there was no guarantee that anything would be the same again.</p><p>Ellie sighed as she took in those lights. "C'mon, kiddo. No use putting this off." She trudged on down the hill, thinking on everything she had lost this past year, everything she'd gained, and then lost again. Dina had been the one constant in her life, the one person who could keep her grounded when things seemed to overwhelm her, whether it had been in Seattle or at the farmhouse. And she had just brushed that constant aside like she was nothing without realizing it. But things were different this time. This time, Ellie would try to make amends. She had to.</p><p>She stopped once she reached the gate. Those on watch must have recognized her when she came down, as the gate opened a few seconds later, to no one's surprise. The face that greeted her, on the other hand...</p><p>"Tommy?"</p><p>Joel's grizzled younger brother stared back at her with his one good eye in surprise. Revenge had cost Tommy not only his wife, but his shooting eye and a leg, another painful reminder of how much Ellie regretted everything. "Didn't know if you'd be back, kiddo. Glad to see you're alright."</p><p>She sighed. <i>Kiddo.</i> It felt like another lifetime when someone had called her that. She didn't need Tommy of all people reminding her of that. Not that she wanted to be on speaking terms with him right now, anyway. "Where's Dina?"</p><p>Tommy's face remained unreadable. Their last conversation had not ended with kind words. Maybe he knew he had crossed a line when he had told Ellie about Abby's last known whereabouts. Maybe he had hoped they could patch things up when she returned. Regardless, she didn't want to talk to him at the moment, and he knew it. "She's helping out at the clinic."</p><p>"Right." She brushed past him.</p><p>"Ellie-"</p><p>"Stop." Ellie turned to face him. Her voice was firm. "If you're sorry, that's too bad. You're one of the last people I want to talk to right now."</p><p>Tommy looked hurt. It reminded her of how Joel looked after she recoiled upon hearing the truth about the Fireflies. "I deserve that."</p><p>"Well, then I guess we're both disappointed with each other."</p><p>It would be a few hours before Tommy understood what the young woman meant.</p><p>_______________________________________________________</p><p>On her way to the clinic, Ellie kept on getting strange looks from everyone else. Of course she was. She had shown up with two fingers missing, a new chemical burn on her hand this time, and looking like she'd just gone through Hell. But she had to talk to Dina. If that meant she collapsed from exhaustion first, then so be it.</p><p>She knocked hard on the door to the clinic three times once she arrived before entering. There was a short old woman at the front desk, looking frantic. Ellie didn't recognize her. She seemed new.</p><p>The lady looked up, eyes widening. "Oh my, what happened to you?"</p><p>Ellie ignored her question, taking a deep breath. The pain was coming back now. "There's someone I need to see."</p><p>She eyed her up. "Our doctor is out, but one of our nurses is still here."</p><p>Ellie waved her hand, grimacing. "Lady, look, there's someone I need to see first."</p><p>"Ellie?"</p><p>Her heart caught in her throat when she heard that familiar voice. Ellie slowly turned and saw her. Dina, looking exactly as she had when she had begged her to stay, begged her not to follow through on her plan to kill Abby. Dina, with those beautiful eyes, smooth skin, that small clump of hair that dangled over her forehead, and that look of surprise at seeing her again...</p><p>Ellie's vision became blurred with tears as she croaked out her name. "Dina?" Then the exhaustion finally hit. Her whole body seemed to go limp and would have hit the floor like a sack of bricks had Dina not rushed to catch her. In a moment, her arms embraced Ellie as she rubbed her back, trying to ease her uncontrollable sobbing.</p><p>"Shhh, it's okay, it's okay." She looked up at the older woman. "Ethel, I can take her."</p><p>The old lady looked concerned. "You sure, honey? You don't need help or anything?"</p><p>"I got it." Dina hauled Ellie to her feet. "This is Ellie."</p><p>"Oh." She nodded and sat back down. "Then I suppose you two have a lot to talk about."</p><p>"C'mon, let's get you cleaned up." Ellie shambled towards the back offices, still in a crying daze. It was Dina. It was really her, holding her upright in those arms. She tried to breathe, but the air didn't seem to come.</p><p>"Ellie, just sit down over here." Dina set her down in a chair, pulling out a first-kit before turning to face her. "Breathe, okay? Just breathe. It's alright. It's alright", she said as she ran a soothing hand over her face, "you're back, that's what matters." But she didn't seem to believe it. Ellie could tell. In her face, she saw that same pained look from the night she left the farmhouse. She saw Dina pleading for her to stay. She saw her, sobbing as she left to pursue a cause that seemed to cause her nothing but grief in the end.</p><p>That being said, she was back, she was safe, and Dina was here. That allowed her to steady herself, at least.</p><p>"Alright, I'm just gonna take this off now, okay?"</p><p>"Huh?" Ellie looked up to see Dina waiting expectantly, hands hovering near her jacket. "Oh, sorry."</p><p>"It's okay." She spoke calmly, as though she were trying to reassure a frightened, wounded animal. As soon as her jacket came off, revealing the bloodstained tank-top, Dina put a hand to her mouth in shock at the sight of Ellie's injuries.</p><p>"Jesus, Ellie." Dina sighed as she opened the kit and began to clean Ellie's wounds. "Was it worth it?" There it was. That pain in her voice. That same pain she had felt the night she left.</p><p>"It was." She took a deep breath, wincing from the sting of the antiseptic. What she said now would determine her future with the woman she loved. Eventually, she found the right words.</p><p>"It was, but I didn't get what I wanted."</p><p>Dina paused in surprise. "What?"</p><p>"I tracked her down to Santa Barbara. She and that Scar that traveled with her. Found both of them strung up on a beach by a group of hunters. Horrible fuckers. You should have seen her, Dina. I don't think there was any fight left in her. I guess I took pity on her, cuz I cut them both down. We were right at the boats, but all I could see then was Joel. He was dead. And she was right behind me."</p><p>Dina looked horrified. "Ellie, what the hell did you do?"</p><p>"I threatened the kid. It was the only way I was going to get her fight me, so I threatened to take the one person that meant everything to her. So, we fought. It was barely an even fight. I had this fucking hole in my side from earlier, but God, Dina, she was so thin. Still, she was tough. I lost my switchblade and-", she held up her left hand with the missing ring and little finger, "this. In the end, I pinned her down under that water. I was just holding her there, drowning her, when I finally remembered."</p><p>Dina frowned. "Remembered what?"</p><p>"The last time Joel and I talked."</p><p>"At the dance?"</p><p>Ellie shook her head. "I went back to his place to talk to him. We talked. First time in two years. The last thing I said to his face was 'I don't think I can every forgive you, but I'd like to try'. He said he'd like that. Next time I saw him..." She sighed. "Point is, I remembered my problem wasn't Abby or what she did. It was Joel. I couldn't fucking forgive him before he died, but I wanted to. I really wanted to. So, I let her go. Let her and the kid just ride off while I just sat there, thinking about everything."</p><p>For a moment, Dina said nothing. Then, she took a deep breath, and spoke. "I'll be honest, I was ready to dump you after I patched you up. And there's a hell of a lot I'm still pissed at you for. But... Fuck, I missed you."</p><p>Ellie nodded sadly. "I know. The whole time, when I wasn't thinking about Abby, I was thinking about you and JJ. I missed you two. And I know I fucked up bad, but please, Dina...", she took her hands as she said her name, finally meeting her eyes, "give me another chance. I'm not asking for you to forget everything, but please let me make it up to you. I'll do anything. Promise."</p><p>Dina brought those hands to her face and pressed them to her cheeks. "I missed you, too. Tell you what, I'll patch you up, then we can talk about this at my place, okay?"</p><p>Ellie smiled. It was the first time in a long time that she had done so. "I'd like that."</p><p>It was a smile Dina returned. "Good. Let's finish up here and get out. It's Ethel's turn to lock up, anyway."</p><p>Ellie chuckled. God, why did the simplest words from this woman make her break? "Guess I missed a lot."</p><p>Dina pulled her in and held her tight. "Yeah." She sniffed. "You did."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is more or less how I envision their first interaction when she gets back from Santa Barbara. I decided not to mention the farmhouse epilogue because I'm taken by the theory that Ellie has already been back to Jackson by the Epilogue, so I decided to roll with that for this fic.</p><p>I loved this game. A lot of people didn't, but I loved it. No other game has made me feel like this before. I really hope they make a part three, even though it's going to be a while before Druckmann nails down a story.</p><p>Let me know what you think!</p><p>Until then!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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